clamann



Jan- 24, 1956 H. G. CLAMANN PNEUMATIC REFRACTOMETER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 20, 1953 INVENTOR.

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if. f #Trae/Veys United States Patent() (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) This invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of royalty thereon.

This invention relates to refractometers and particularly diterent refractive indices, is proportional to the concentration. This pneumatic refractometer is light in Weight, compact, and fast and continuous in its analysis which analysis may be observed or recorded.

With the coming of faster and higher flying aircraft, the need for an aircraft refractometer-that is, a refracare most valuable tory instruments but are too bulky, as the mass spectrograph, or not rugged enough, as the infrared analyzers, to be suitable for use in aircraft.

The pneumatic refractometer of the present invention is small, compact, light, rugged, and reliable an aircraft, although its us larly adapted for aircraft, but may have general application. A known or reference can be observed or recordings can be made directly therefrom, or a photocell pickup may be used behind a slit in the screen to give microammeter readings or other electro-pictorial recordings, as desired. It is contemplated to use two photoelectric cells 2,731,877 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 nar ow through an analyzing cell, the laminar ow being traversed by a light beam to produce light patterns on` served or recorded.

These and other objects, advantages, features, and uses will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in consideration of the accompanying drawings, n which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of the re-` fractometer device with part of the controlling elements shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the analyzing cell taken along the lines 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of cell taken along the line 3`3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevational View of the back side of the screen taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 wherein the sectioning of the battles 45 is omitted for clarity;

Fig. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the photoelectric pickup circuit;

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate rays traced through the cylindrical windows of the analyzing cell with a single gas therein and the light pattern on the screen;

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the rays traced through a reference gas with an unknown and the light pattern produced on the screen; and

Figs. l0 and ll illustrate the rays traced through a reference gas with an unknown rarer gas imbedded therein and the corresponding light pattern on the screen.

the analyzing vacuum line to indicate the working vacuum and to permit regulation of the vacuum pump, `where desirable.

In the lateral tubular extension 21 ment bulb 38 on the inner end thereof. The element 36 is slidable longitudinally of the tube focus through the cylindrical lens 35.

In the lateral tubular extension 22 and over the opening 24 is a second cylindrical lens 40 having its axis parallel to the axis et the rst cylindrical lens 35. Over the outer end of the tubular extension 22 is a screen elongated vertical slits 42 and 43 therein (see Fig. 4), the slit 42 being arranged centrally or along a diameter of the tubular extension 22 while the slit 43 is positioned along a chord thereof. The screen 41 also forms the end of a case 44 housing the electrical means of the device. Attached to the screen 41 and extending perpendicularly therefrom into the case 44 are three light haines` 45 that provide two light bafiled spaces, one over each slit 42 and 43. In each light baied space is positioned a photoelectric cell 46 and 47, respectively, that is coupled in a manner presently to be described, to drive a microammeter 48 or other measurement or recordingdevice to produce readings in accordance with the light faliiug on the cells.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is shown a wiring diagram in which the two photoelectric cells are illustrated with the same reference characters 46 and 47. The photoelectric cell 46 is in one branch of a bridge circuit and the cell 47 is in the other branch of the bridge circuit. rl`he bridge circuit is provided a potential by a battery 49 through a switch 50. The bridge circuit can be adjustably balanced by a variable resistance '1 in one of the branches. The photoelectric cell 46 being in the path of the slot 42 receives the retracted light through the analyzing cell which is the light directly in the center of the light patterns formed on the screen 41 as will presently by made clear. The intensity of the light falling on the cell 46 is recorded on the micro-ammeter 48. The light passing through the slot 43 is from the central peripheral portion of the light pattern, as will presently be made clear, and this light is always directly proportional to the light intensity of the bulb 38. Variations in light intensity of the bulb 38 cause changes in conduction of the cell 47 to compensate for those changes on the retracted ray to the cell 46. Thus correct readings may be obtained from the microammeter although there are variations in the light intensity of the bulb 38.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the light rays from the source 38 passing through the two cylindrical lenses 35 and 49 and the light pattern formed on the screen 41. The area 55 between the lenses is the analyzed area being the area iust below the nozzle 32 of the conduit 31. Adjustment of the bulb 33 inthe lateral tube 21 by the knob 37 makes it possible to control the convergence of the rays, from the cylindrical lens 35. ln Fig. 6 the convergent rays in the analyzed area 5S are represented as passing through a single gas and are not retracted. These rays pass through the second cylindrical lens 46, through the focus, and onto the screen 41 to present the light pattern which is substantially uniformly lighted, Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the analyzed area 5S is being traversed by a reference gas S6 and a denser fluid 57 to be analyzed. The darkened cross-hatched portion 57 represents the gasto be analyzed as it streams out of the nozzle 32 (Fig. l) across the analyzed area 55 and is imbedded in the reference gas 56. As may be seen, the outer rays continue their course substantially as before but those rays passing through the gas stream 57 are retracted due to a change of index of retraction from the reference gas. The gas 57 to be analyzed in this illustration is denser than the reference gas 56 which produces a light pattern, as seen in Fig. 9, that has a dark center portion.

Figs. l() and 1l illustrate the analysis of an unknown gas 5S that is rarer than the reference gas 56 producing a bright central portion in the light pattern shown in Fig. ll.

The slit 42 is positioned in the screen 41 where the central portion of the light pattern, representing the analyzed gas, will fall. This part of the light pattern passes` through the slit 42 and falls on the photoelectric cell 46, as described above. The part of the light pattern falling over the slit' 43 will pass throughA to`r the photo- 41 with two,

Alateral tubular extensions with electric cell 47, as described above. The light patterns may be observed or photographed from a plane screen,- as 41 without the slits, where it is desirable to eliminate the photoelectric circuit. lt is believed that it is readily understood that the analysis of the unknown gases is fast and accurate with a piece of equipment readily portable for use in the laboratory, aircraft, or other movable or stationary positions.

ln the operation of the pneumatic refractometer, a gas` of known density or index of refraction is introduced through the inlet 30 and a gas of unknown density or index of refraction is connected to the conduit 31. With the vacuum pump 2S in operation the two gases will be pulled through the analyzer across the analyzing area 5S at a high velocity providing a laminar ow of the two gases without any diiusion. Light rays from the light source 3S will pass through the cylindrical lens 35, the analyzing area SS below the nozzle portion 32, the cylindrical objective lens 40, and the slits 42 and 43 to the photoelectric cells 46 and 47. The cell 46 will respond to the light in the center of the light pattern representing the gas to be analyzed, the light intensity on the photoelectric cell being represented on the microamrneter 48. By representative calculation of the microammeter 48 it can readily be determined whether the analyzed gas has a greater or lesser index of refraction than the reference gas. The pneumatic refractometer being based on the ratio between a reference and an' analyzed gas excludes, to a great extent, disturbances from temperature and pres; sure. This pneumatic refractometer is especially well adapted for use in aircraft to determine the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the cabin since this refractometer analyzes immediately and continuously and since it is small, compact, rugged, and light in weight. While the invention has been shown and described as to its pref. ferred use with gases it is to be understood that analysis of uids in general may be accomplished. y

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it is to be understood that many changes and arrangements may be made in the constructional details and features of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A fast and continuous acting pneumatic refractorneter comprising; an analyzing cell having two laterally aligned tubular extensions, two inlets, and a flattened constricted outlet in the plane of said lateral extensions to provide a iiattened ow area, one of said inlets entering said analyzing cell in a portion across the plane of said lateral extensions from said constricted outlet and the other of said inlets Yentering saidv analyzing cell through a flattened nozzle centrally of said liattened flow area between said lateral extensions with the lateral extensions, the flattened ow area, and the attened nozzle lying in the sarne plane; a longitudinally adjustable single filament lamp in one of the lateral tubular extensions; a cylindrical lens in each lateral tubular extension at the adjacent ends thereof with the axes thereof lying parallel to the lamp filament; a screen over the outer end of the other of said slit means therein parallel to the lamp iilament; and light responsive means behind said slit means in said screen to convert light falling thereon into electrical potentials for drivingV measurement dcvices proportional to the intensity of the light whereby a comparative analysis of a reference iluid passed through said one of said inlets and an unknown uid passed through the other of said inlets will be determined from the measurement devices.

2. A pneumatic refracto'rnet'er as set forth in claim' l wherein said slit means in said screen consists of one slit positionedy to receive retracted rays of said bearn of light from the unknown fluid and of another slit positioned'h to receive retracted rays of' said beam of light from the" reference duid, and said' light responsive' meansI is a" phot'of electric cell circuit with a photoelectric cell behind each slit said photoelectric cell receiving the refracated rays tions in intensity in said beam of light whereby the coniparative analysis is not rendered erroneous by changes in light intensity of said single lament lam 3. A fast and continuous acting pneumatic refractometer comprising an analyzing cell, means to direct a reference fluid and an unknown fluid in contact through said cell in laminar ilow without substantial intermixing said iluids being of dilerent chemical means to direct a beam of light across said reference and unknown uid and another portion of the light will pass through reference fluid only, so it is posare automatically compensated.

4. A pneumatic wherein the means to compare the retracted light from the 5. A pneumatic refractometer as set wherein said means to direct said lluids is a portion through enclosed conduit positioned to introduce said unknown fluid centrally to said Venturi tube portion.

6. A pneumatic refractometer as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means to direct a beam of light across said cell transversely to the low of and through said uids and onto a screen are laterally extending aligned tubes on said cell, one tube having a longitudinally adjustable light tive lens at said cell and said screen over the outer end thereof.

7. A pneumatic refractometer as set forth in claim 3 wherein the retracted light from the reference uid is compared with the retracted light from the unknown through said cell in laminar flow.

11. A pneumatic refractometer as set forth in claim 10 wherein baies are used between said photocells to insure that light from each slit falls only on its respective photocell.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,225 Haber Sept. 4, 1906 1,770,355 Roi July 8, 1930 2,362,235 Barnes Nov. 7, 1944 2,421,854 Seaman June 10, 1947 

3. A FAST AND CONTINUOUS ACTING PNEUMATIC REFRACTOMETER COMPRISING AN ANALYZING CELL, MEANS TO DIRECT A REFERENCE FLUID AND AN UNKNOWN FLUID IN CONTACT THROUGH SAID CELL IN LAMINAR FLOW WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL INTERMIXING OF THE TWO FLUIDS, SAID FLUIDS BEING A DIFFERENT CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, MEANS TO DIRECT A BEAM OF LIGHT ACROSS SAID CELL TRANSVERSELY TO THE FLOW OF AND THROUGH SAID FLUIDS, SAID LAMINAR FLOW BEING SUCH THAT A CENTRAL LAYER OF UNKNOWN FLUID HAS A LAYER OF REFERENCE FLUID ON EITHER SIDE OF IT WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE LIGHT WILL PASS THROUGH REFERENCE AND UNKNOWN FLUID AND ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LIGHT WILL PASS THROUGH REFERENCE FLUID ONLY, SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEPARATELY ANALYZE AND COMPARE THE REFRACTED LIGHT FROM SAID UNKNOWN FLUID WITH THE REFRACTED LIGHT FROM SAID REFERENCE FLUID IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE COMPOSITION OF THE UNKNOWN FLUID IS QUANTITATIVELY INDICATED AND WHEREIN VARIATIONS OF LIGHT INTENSITY OF SAID BEAM OF LIGHT ARE AUTOMATICALLY COMPENSATED. 